Jump to content

2013-2014 Lineup/Roster Thread


devilsrule33

Recommended Posts

re: pedigree - they came into the league with similar pedigrees. hedman's team was pretty bad and he was given the chance to fail and get better. larsson had a bit of that in year one when they tried to give him everything. they dialed back and then he got subban'd as was out. last year he was not handled right - everyone admitted that. and then this year. he was improving a lot, got hurt, and then wally pipp'd by merrill. merrill wasn't so head and shoulders above him that larsson shouldn't have gotten put back and continued his upward track.

 

Just because he wasn't handled right doesn't mean you get to write off a year where he's at best a break even D - do you honestly think if he looked like Hedman in year 2 that they wouldn't've cleared someone out for him?  This year has gone better but part of it is advantageous zone starts - he was getting 60% of his starts in the offensive zone as opposed to 50% last year.  

 

Larsson's going to be a good player, but he's not going to be Hedman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just because he wasn't handled right doesn't mean you get to write off a year where he's at best a break even D - do you honestly think if he looked like Hedman in year 2 that they wouldn't've cleared someone out for him?  This year has gone better but part of it is advantageous zone starts - he was getting 60% of his starts in the offensive zone as opposed to 50% last year.  

 

Larsson's going to be a good player, but he's not going to be Hedman.

 

this is all certainly fair - i can't honestly figure out what the devils brain trust is thinking a lot of the times.

 

i don't think he's going to be hedman because i don't think he'll provide the offense that hedman does. but i think he'll be better than fayne is now (which is a better than average nhl defenseman). i think he will be an ES monster on defense for the devils

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's not really about that, it's about the mishandling of the roster again. It's one thing to take it on yourself and admit you're where you are cause you did a bad job. It's another thing to be stuck in the minors and watch Salvador/A-Train play every single night and getting away with murder. 

 

Salvador and Volchenkov aren't keeping Larsson out of the lineup. They play a different role than he does. It's more Fayne and Merrill, and there's really no reason not to play either of them at the moment. Larsson in the minors isn't the ideal situation, but it's also really not that big of a deal. He's playing more than he would up in Jersey. It'll help him when he's on the team full time next season. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sort of off topic, but why is no one talking about Hedman as a Norris candidate? I think he's right there with dmen who are around the same age (Karlsson, Doughty, Pietrangelo)

 

For one, he plays in Tampa. Second, I think he lacks that stand-out quality of Karlsson or Subban. He's very well rounded in that aspect. Third, I think many people perceive him to be a bust because of his relative struggles in his first couple of years and not hearing much about him since draft. 

 

I believe Tampa gets about 54% of the goals when he's on the ice and something like 46% when he's not...so he's pretty darn important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Lou burns one of his four call-ups for Sestito.  What a complete waste.  With Carter injured, that still gives us 12 healthy forwards.  Not to mention you can always dress 7 defenseman and use Gelinas strictly on the power play.

 

I just don't get it.  Just..why Lou?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Lou burns one of his four call-ups for Sestito.  What a complete waste.  With Carter injured, that still gives us 12 healthy forwards.  Not to mention you can always dress 7 defenseman and use Gelinas strictly on the power play.

 

I imagine this also means that the team has given up on Josefson.  Not just DeBoear, but also Lou.  Stinks when those first-round picks don't work out. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Came here to complain. This Sestito callup set me off on a lot of things. I know we sit here as armchair GMs and coaches and say we could do a better job, but I really feel like I can. Guys like Michael Ryder, Steve Bernier, Bryce Salvador, and Dainius Zubrus can play like the worst pair of jeans at a the Salvation Army store and still not get disciplined in the least while guys like Gelinas, Josefson, Larsson and formerly Loktionov have to worry about making the slightest mistakes and getting banished by the dumb coach. Ryder should have sat a game or two in the press box weeks ago. Zubrus has 2 goals in 31 games and is deep in the minus column in that span and the team's answer to a MUST WIN game against one of the best teams in the league is to call up Tim freaking Sestito and sit the goalie that gives the team the best chance to win. Also, Henrique has 9 goals in 6 games and gets moved to the third line to center two players that aren't playing well. the first game, he had a goal on that line and a goal on the penalty kill (with Elias) but has been a zero point -4 player since. Please find me one other team in the league that puts their top goal scorer on the third line... then plays them only 16 minutes in a must win game (Florida).

 

Here's my lineup for tonight:

 

Ruutu-Zajac-Jagr

Henrique-Elias-Brunner

Clowe-Josefson-Ryder

Zubrus-Gionta-Bernier

 

Greene-Fayne

Volchenkov-Zidlicky

Gelinas-Merrill

 

Schneider

 

Give Josefson the chance to play with real NHL players and add some speed to a ridiculously slow line. Tell Zubrus to take a seat on the fourth line and get his sh!t together. In my 26 years of being alive I've never been more frustrated with this team and looking forward to the season ending so I can watch the Red Bulls and a team that actually wants to win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In what fvcking world do the Devils justify Sestito over JJ? Do they strive to put out LESS offense in big games? I mean sh!t, JJ has at least been drawing some penalties and starting breakouts. Instead we have a guy who is absolutely useless. And Larsson CONTINUES to rot in the AHL. It's un-fvcking-believable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i don't know what makes me angrier:

sestito over josefson or merrill over volchenkov.

if they want to put gelinas back in, fine. but don't do it for volchenkov where you're completely taking away a skillset. merrill has not been that good for weeks now.

I've passed the point of anger, I'm not even surprised at this point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Josefson himself claimed that the coaches told him that line needs more size.  It seems like a (over)reaction to playing the Bruins.  But at least the Devils haven't turned their franchise upside down like the Sabres did.

 

This is so ridiculous. The Devils need more size so they take out Volchenkov (who Deboer praised days ago for playing "a man's game" against Philly), but they add Sestito for size for the Bruins. I guess in a way it makes sense with Pete's completely over-valuing the 4th line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No words anymore...

 

Hopefully next season, they'll inject some youth into this old, slow team. Agreed that both of those lineup choices are really strange choices (Sestito/Josefson and Merrill/Volchenkov).

 

But yeah, on the bright side, I guess we're not the Sabres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lou loves to fill in 'roles' on his team. But there is just no reason in this universe that Tim Sestito should be in the lineup against the Bruins. Lou waits until we are playing the hottest and possibly best team in the league to call up a scrappy minor leaguer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel horrible for Josefson. He doesn't deserve this at all. It's a shame that the Devils would keep him around as the 14th forward all year instead of giving him a shot or trying to get him through waivers. It's clear he has no future here but he deserves to get a chance somewhere else. I know that they can't be giving away the little forward depth they have, but I just feel for this kid.

 

Also, if they are going to make a call up, I would've rather have seen Sislo who is having a great year and can score (.412 G/GP). I get that they want a "4th line guy" in Sestito, but seriously, at least call up someone who is scoring goals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.